Three Scottish candidates make case for PEC seat

Voting for the Principal Executive Committee (PEC) of the British Dental Association (BDA) is now under way, with the results set to be announced on 19 December.

There are three candidates for the Scottish seat on the PEC, Derek Harper, Robert Kinloch – who is also standing for a UK-wide seat on the committee – and Graham Smith.

Derek Harper is a GDP from Fife who has been involved in dental politics since 1984. He is on the Fife ADC and chairs the Fife LDC. He said: “The BDA faces many potential problems. Brexit may throw up many such problems though only time will tell.

“General practice is reaching a crossroads in all parts of the UK and steadfast leadership of the profession through the BDA is more vital than ever. The PEC, as the overarching body of the association, has a great deal to do to maintain membership and guide these members through the trials ahead.

“I feel I have a lot to offer to help the PEC operate successfully in all these facets. The association needs a strong PEC where all the members of it have experience and knowledge vital in these difficult times.”

Robert Kinloch (pictured), who has been a BDA member since qualifying from Glasgow in 1977, is currently the elected member for Scotland on the PEC. He is a former chair of the Scottish Dental Practice Committee and of the BDA’s Scottish Council.

He said: “I feel that I have the experience, expertise and commitment to continue to promote and champion Scottish issues as they are brought before the PEC.”

He has pledged to support the work and staff of the Scottish office, make members aware of the consequences of the ongoing consultant around the new oral health plan, to support all the craft committees “in these difficult times especially issues of deprivation and rurality”, to work for further reform of the GDC and to look at the future of practice arrangements around associate contracts.

Graham Smith is a PDS dentist in Skye and is the current chair of the Scottish Salaried Dentists Committee. He said: “Dentistry is at a crossroads. Scottish Government is consulting on Scotland’s Oral Health Plan, and this will affect how we practice dentistry for the decade to come.

“GDPs provide the majority of dental care across Scotland. They have seen a 30 per cent decrease in income between 2008 and 2013 and this trend is continuing. In addition, we are dealing with a failing regulator and increasing bureaucratic control.

“This has made general dental practice less viable and Scottish Government needs to recognise the longer term impact on NHS dentistry and on the profession and address this in the OHP.”